Freetown, IN – An Indiana woman has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for helping her mother carry out a months-long poisoning plot that killed her stepfather after five separate attempts using three different toxic substances, including an ancient plant poison and antifreeze.
The shocking case reveals a calculated and bizarre series of murder attempts involving pong pong seeds, hemlock, and ethylene glycol, leading prosecutors to call it one of the most disturbing domestic murder conspiracies in recent state history.
The Incident: Stepdaughter and Mother Plotted to Kill 52-Year-Old Man
According to court documents, Ashley Nicole Jones, now 32, and her mother Marsha Allen, 52, spent months scheming to kill Harold “Peanut” Allen, who was 52 years old when he died on December 20, 2022, in Freetown, a small town about 70 miles south of Indianapolis.
Harold’s obituary described his death as “sudden,” but investigators later discovered that he was fatally poisoned with ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze.
The mother-daughter duo had allegedly grown frustrated after multiple failed poisoning attempts before finally succeeding. “I need this to be over,” Marsha Allen texted her daughter days before Harold’s death. “I wish it would reach its climax and be done lol.” To which Jones replied: “Agreed.”
Investigation and Evidence: Exotic Poisons and Digital Trails
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, investigators learned that the women had methodically tried several different toxins before Harold’s death.
On September 14, 2022, Jones ordered pong pong seeds from eBay, a plant known for its deadly toxin, cerberin, once used in ancient Madagascar “trial by ordeal” rituals. The women received the seeds in October and ground them up in a coffee grinder before mixing them into a batch of brownies on November 26, 2022.
Court records say Marsha sent Jones a photo of Harold lying on a couch with a half-eaten brownie on his chest. Harold became violently ill and was hospitalized, but doctors attributed his symptoms to intestinal inflammation.
When the first poison failed, the women turned to hemlock, a deadly North American plant related to the type that killed Socrates. Jones ordered it on Etsy in early December.
“Both versions of the plant are highly toxic and, if ingested, can cause death in exceedingly small amounts,” investigators noted.
Over four days, they added hemlock to Harold’s chili, soda, and margarita, but he still survived.
Frustrated, Jones ordered ethylene glycol online on December 13, 2022. Within a week, Harold Allen was dead.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
In August 2024, Ashley Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors dismissed other counts, including murder and felony murder, in exchange for her cooperation and guilty plea.
On October 2024, Judge Richard William Poynter of the Jackson County Circuit Court sentenced Jones to 50 years in prison—25 years for each count, to be served consecutively. She also received nearly three years of credit for time spent in jail and good behavior.
Her mother, Marsha Allen, never faced trial. She died by suicide in October 2023, reportedly to avoid being charged in her husband’s murder.
How Investigators Uncovered the Plot
For months after Harold’s death, the murder went undetected until an unrelated burglary brought new evidence to light.
In September 2023, burglars broke into Marsha Allen’s home. Two men, Steven Andrew White (29) and Nathaniel Kane Napier (28), were later arrested. When questioned, White claimed that Jones had orchestrated the burglary and confessed to him that her mother had poisoned Harold to death.
Detectives later found incriminating text messages between Marsha and Ashley on Marsha’s phone, explicitly discussing how to murder Harold with poison.
“On the cell phone, officers found text messages between Marsha and Ashley in which they discussed murdering Marsha’s husband, Harold Allen, by poisoning Harold in December of 2022,” Sheriff Rick Meyer said.
Statements and Reactions from Officials
Sheriff Meyer described the case as “a chilling example of premeditated, calculated cruelty carried out within a family.” Investigators emphasized that both women had researched poisons, purchased them online, and tested them multiple times before finally succeeding.
“This wasn’t an act of rage,” one prosecutor said. “It was a long, deliberate plan to kill a man who trusted them.”
Background Context: Ancient Poisons in a Modern Crime
The case has drawn attention for its use of rare and historical poisons.
- Pong pong seeds, derived from the Cerbera odollam tree, are so lethal they’re often called the “suicide tree.”
- Hemlock, used by Socrates in 399 BC, is one of the oldest known plant-based poisons.
- Ethylene glycol, found in modern antifreeze, causes organ failure and death when ingested.
Experts say the combination of ancient and modern toxins made this case especially unusual and complex.
Ongoing Developments and Aftermath
Jones remains in Indiana Women’s Prison, where she will be eligible for release after serving roughly 42 years with good behavior.
Harold “Peanut” Allen’s family members said they are still grappling with the loss and the betrayal that led to his death. They have expressed relief that the case is finally closed.
“We miss him every day,” one family member told reporters. “He didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Conclusion
The story of Ashley Jones and Marsha Allen’s elaborate poisoning plot stands as one of Indiana’s most chilling murder cases in recent memory — a blend of ancient methods, digital planning, and domestic betrayal. As Jones begins her 50-year sentence, prosecutors hope the case serves as a warning about premeditation, deception, and the pursuit of justice even after death.
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